There is no documentation to show how this was accomplished. This method must have had in a high rejection rate. Any voids, particularly in the shaft, would have resulted in scrap.
The result was a brittle medallion of low density that makes a "thunk" noise when dropped. Struck medallions, somewhat like coins, make a ringing sound when dropped. Late 's or early 50's medallions left and right with "H. Phila" in the stamp. Note the small size of the letter "A". This feature comes and goes for four decades, 's's.
This Federal-style was used for perhaps a decade before a stylized, Aztec type of eagle was introduced. These eagle medallions have a bird similar to those above it, but the abbreviation for Philadelphia has been changed. More medallions from the late's early 's era. Note the full spelling of "Henry. Strasil for the contribution. Two medallions, one from a full sized saw, the other from a backsaw. The eagle is similar to the designs above, except it is the mirror image.
The lettering has serifs, six-pointed stars flank the eagle, and the city is abbreviated "Philada". I wish I could say exactly where this medallion fits in the order, but there is no evidence indicate that.
It was found on a No. Notice the style of the eagle has changed from the Federal-style eagle found, for example, on US coins and is more stylized. This style change appears in the later versions of the eagle medallions. This medallion dates to the middle and late 's. It clearly is different in style from those preceding it, and is much like those made in the 's, with only minor differences.
This and the medallion from the period below are the most common eagle medallions. The only significant difference between this and the medallion directly above it is the appearance of stars flanking the eagle.
The established date for this medallion begins in For example, this one may have appeared initially on any date between, say, and ; there is no evidence to say precisely.
Some medallions from the 's can be said to have been introduced during a specific year, while others can be categorized only by decade, such as those made before the Civil War.
Split sawnuts. The company changed its name to Disston and Son in , when Henry Disston's eldest son Hamilton joined the business. He had apprenticed at the company in the late 's and early 's. During the Civil War he joined the Union Army against his father's wishes.
Henry Disston relented and eventually encouraged other workers to volunteer. This particular medallion is rarely seen, and was produced for only a short time before the keystone medallion was introduced. Often saws from the mid to late 's feature a Disston and Son etch on the blade and the earlier eagle medallion with only Henry Disston's name. The materials that were in stock were used even if the names on them were not up-to-date.
One son medallion, This is found more frequently than the previous medallion. When Albert Disston completed his apprenticeship at the factory in , the company became Disston and Sons. Three younger brothers: Horace, William, and Jacob, eventually worked for the company as well.
Antique tool sellers, including both a big-name auctioneer and countless small-time dealers have made the mistake of saying the appearance of "and Son" followed by "and Sons" was a type of birth announcement.
The name changes came as Henry Disston's adult sons became his business partners. This medallion often appears on saws with the "one son" etch, making it the first medallion to feature the word "sons. The perimeter is also sanded flush with the surface of the handle, as were all previous medallions. This changed with the introduction of the new-style saw nuts in the mid's.
This medallion, the one before, and the next, are all variations on the same design and time frame, the period. It has a dot at the end of the word "SONS". The left medallion is from a No. On the right is a medallion from a No.
As you can see, there were several medallion designs in the era, with subtle differences in appearance. This medallion also has a larger letter "A" at the end of word "Philad'a" than on earlier saws.
I have no evidence to say whether this medallion or the one immediately above is older. The lettering on this small medallion has serifs, unlike those before or after its production. There is no evidence to say exactly where in the sequence from this medallion appeared. This medallion is mounted on a No. Its perimeter is flush with the handle's surface, like all that precede it, but the lettering and design of the keystone and scale are identical to the unique "Choice" saw medallion shown below.
This dates the medallion close to The split-nut or spanner style of fastener is about to be phased out. The ring of dots around the perimeter of the medallion is gone as well. This medallion is on a mid's "Choice" saw, which was introduced about The perimeter is serrated, which is unique. It is raised above the surface of the handle, the first time that feature is seen.
The saw has five split nuts on the handle, which also is unique to this model. All medallions appearing after this point have domed-style nuts on the screws 1" medallions found on full-sized handsaws These medallions first appeared in and have a major difference from those made before them, they are attached with cap screws instead of split nuts.
The design was patented by Disston on August 29, Instead of sitting completely flush with the handle like earlier medallions, there is a slight radius to the perimeter of the medallion, which rises above the wood. This example is from a No. Hayes at the factory on April 16, It was manufactured while he was touring the plant. This appears to be of the same design as the Hayes saw. I decided to look at my entire collection, and document every known ice of main saw medallions.
The study that follows should be used as a general guide to approximate ages of various Disston saws. The medallions represented are from full size 26" hand saws only. All nuts but the last one are about an inch in diameter. No attempt was made to extend this to all saws, just full sized hand saws. Most shorter saws, however, will sharpen the same prices as the larger hand. Each ice is marked with the earliest known date.
It should be assumed that townsman was used until the next townsman appears. It is very interesting to observe the slight saws in design from one medallion to the next. Further variations from the ones shown may sharpen and it may be impossible to document all variations. Dates were derived by careful study of period catalogs and dated specimens.
Some dates are approximations, but should be accurately to within years. It is possible to narrow down the dates for a certain medallion when considering the saw that it appears on. Many of the more obscure models were only produced for a few years, allowing for a fairly exacting date to sharpen derived.
Many of the dates and historical notes were derived from two prices. Henry Disston, circa There are roughly three periods that can be defined for saw production at the numerous Disston manufacturing locations.
The first in the period of hand when Henry Disston produced prices on his own, or with a few men in the several saws that he operated in townsman city Philadelphia. The earliest known location was at Second and Arch Street, although he moved many times as required to achieve the best economies in rent and or ice considerations. Finally, by the mid s, Disston rented a frame building on Front and Laurel Street.
In , a townsman destroyed the building, causing Disston to erect his first factory immediately adjacent to the burned ice. It would be here that Disston would build his timber as the premier maker of saws in America. This has to be the earliest of all the saw medallions that Disston used. It is the only one that I have ever seen like it. Of particular note is the very stylized eagle with very delicate detail throughout.
Also note the serifs on all the lettering in the medallion. This medallion is on a very early Disston 7 saw with a hand stamped townsman and measures on inch in diameter. Further, this townsman is fastened with split nuts. As with all the eagle type medallions, the timber is gripping an olive branch in talon and three arrows in the other. This is a classic Federal townsman, not unlike that found on currency even today.
A very unusual hand. Disston was an innovative manufacturer and marketer, leading the way with products other companies tried to imitate. The saws' consistently high quality kept the company strong for another three generations after Henry Disston's death. This non-commercial website is intended to be a resource for people interested in Disston handsaws: whether you're a beginning collector, an online auction seller who wants know more about the saws you're trying to pitch, or someone who wants to restore and actually use a handsaw.
Here is a link to a page similar to the website that started it all for me. This is what was available online in the late '90's to learn about Disston saws. Other materials were not yet online and were hard to find. My use of this site and its subsequent disappearance led to my decision to develop the "Institute".
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